What to Eat, Drink, and Get Tattooed in Metro Phoenix July 31 to August 6

This week is all about going a little over-the-top. We start things off with a slammin' deal from Omaha Steaks, who are offering steak entrees for a buck; then spend hump day indulging in a five-course tequila dinner; and the weekend will involve getting food-themed tattoos before balancing out all the indulgence by sponsoring survival backpacks for the homeless at Social Tap.


$1 Steak Dinners
Tuesday, August 1

Omaha Steaks is launching a new line, Skillet Meals, which are 15-minute meals that feature, you guessed it, steak. To celebrate (and get people to buy into the idea) the company is offering skillet meals for a buck all day on August 1 at the Omaha Steaks retail store at Desert Ridge Marketplace. Pick up a Moroccan-Style Harissa Beef and Vegetables, Steak Au Poivre, or Asian-Style Pepper Steak. For those who are laying off the red meat, they also have Indian-Style Chicken Curry with Vegetables, Chicken Piccata, and Chinese-Style Orange Chicken available.

Not Your Average Five-Course Tequila Dinner
Wednesday, August 2

Nook Kitchen Downtown is hosting a Don Julio cocktail dinner at 6 p.m., which will feature a first course of grilled nopales and lengua de vaca consomme, paired with a Don Julio Reposado Himalayan salt cordial, finished with kaffir lime oil and cayenne flake. The second course will include Chef Nick LaRosa’s deconstructed chile relleno poblano, Oaxaca queso, tomato chili chutney, and tequila pomegranate gastrique paired with a Don Julio 70 Clara Anejo cocktail featuring dry orange curacao, Spanish dry vermouth, and blood orange sour. The third course is a palate-cleanser of watermelon with tequila and lime shaved ice. Still hungry? The main event will be a braised pollo de muslo, maiz de la calle, maseca, mole, frijoles negros a la hoya, and a cocktail featuring Don Julio 1942, fermented masa, tamrindo, guanabana liquer, and fresh lime. Finish things off with a Mexican-inspired chocolate flan flavored with cinnamon, cumin, and chocolate, paired with house-made tepache, a traditional Mexican fermented pineapple drink. The inventive menu — and killer-sounding cocktails — will run you $55 a head.

Food and Ink
Saturday, August 5

Golden Rule Tattoo is celebrating the love of food and ink at both their locations from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a range of food and drink tattoo designs that will come with a pack of freebies and coupons for local food businesses and bars in the area including First Draft Book Bar, Hula's Modern Tiki, SoSoBa, Valley Bar, Pizza Heaven Bistro, Short Leash Hot Dogs, Jobot Coffee, Bonus Round Barcade, Cornish Pasty Co. (downtown Phoenix location), Songbird Coffee, and The Dressing Room. No custom tats will be available, but each of the nine artists will have their own flash sheet of available designs for arms and legs, starting at $60 up to $200. (Note: Photos here don't necessarily depict what will be available.)

Brunch for a Cause
Saturday, August 5

Social Tap Eatery has partnered with reKindle to help the homeless this weekend. The "Sponsor a Backpack" event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., during which time you can donate $25 toward a backpack filled with survival necessities such as water, first-aid supplies, and hygiene products, and with the donation of a backpack, you'll get a brunch entree and a drink on the house.